As most of you know, Lightbox is a woman owned and women run business! With that being said, we not only try to support other creatives but also all women! We had the privilege of being the venue for an amazing organization that aligns with our beliefs and vision. Back in February, Gather Midwest hosted their second event and it was nothing short of beautiful and empowering! We decided to do a recap to show you what Gather Midwest is all about- enjoy!

Why and when was Gather Midwest started?

Gather began in the spring of 2019. Celia, Ingrid and I (Stevie) were catching up over coffee when discussion turned to us expressing our need for more community among creatives in the area. We reflected on how being surrounded by fellow womxn in creative fields and in business-owning had guided, nurtured and propelled us into becoming stronger business owners, but that it had taken us a long time to find those womxn. We wanted to create a space for those relationships to be fostered. We believe that this sense of community and camaraderie is what we need to grow into the best creative entrepreneurs we can be. Gather holds to the African Proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

How was your February event different from your past event(s)?

Our second Gather in February distinguished itself from our first in a few key ways. First off, the time of year and weather influenced the way we designed and decided on the experience we wanted to create. It was important for our last Gather to feel more intimate and cozy - reflective of the energy of the season.

We find the wintertime months to be a time when folks crave more connection & feel like they are 'going it alone' in their business. Our intention was to uplift womxn creatives by utilizing an intimate indoor venue with different areas that would invite a sense of connection in creative, memorable ways (an area for yoga, a polaroid photo booth, etc.) We also added new speakers from outside of Springfield to expand our network to St. Louis, Lawrence KS, and Kansas City.

Do you have plans for any future Gather events that you would like to share?

We are always brainstorming fresh takes on Gather! We look forward to integrating seasonality, the outdoors & sustainability at Gather as the weather becomes more conducive. We have also floated the idea of creating a Gather for young girls and teens, but don't have solid plans or dates for that idea just yet!

What all took place at your February event?

At our February event we dove even deeper into learning sessions from speakers and guided discussion among attendees. We held 4 speaker sessions, each discussing a different facet of creative entrepreneurship: How to connect to your ideal client using self worth, how to scale your business, business tools and marketing, and maintaining creativity. We had a catered brunch, professional headshots taken by Elise Abigail Photography, a grounding yoga session led by Jayme Sweere and lots of giveaways.

What are your goals for your organization in the future?

From the beginning, Gather Midwest is about connection. Connection to ourselves and to others in our community. Our goal is to help womxn creatives and entrepreneurs deeply resonate with their immense value, identify their dreams, and equipment with community and tools that can help them achieve their goals. We recognize that we're not the "answer" for anyone, but instead part of the collective resources to be part of womxn's stories of fulfillment and contribution to our amazing community.

We're not entirely sure what the future holds, but we constantly return to our foundation and values as we navigate each opportunity that presents itself.

How can others get involved with your organization?

So many ways.

- Become a sponsor of Gather Midwest. Sponsorships allow us to offer discounted tickets to womxn wanting to attend and keeps the overall price more affordable.

- Donate a service or product! In the past we've had so many amazing donors gift the attendees with amazing and inspiring gifts and resources. It also gets the donors business name out there!

- Attend! Joining us at Gather not only presents you with opportunities for connection and business/personal growth but also your presence adds to the collective growth. We need each other.

- If you're passionate about an aspect of business or personal growth and love to speak or want to give in some way at Gather, reach out. We have some ideas of who we want to be part of Gather, but we also know that we're not aware of everyone. If it aligns, we're so open to bringing in new amazing friends to be part!

- Share about the event and experience! Share about us on social pages or talk about Gather with your friends. Maybe someone you know could really benefit from this experience.

If you would like to follow along with Gather Midwest and see what they are up to their information is listed below!

Email: hello.gathermidwest@gmail.com

Instagram: @gather_midwest

Written by Jaylee Branch

Community Relations Coordinator | lightboxjaylee@gmail.com